The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-12-21

are not an easy thing to get hold OF,
and l had to do without them except
on rare occasions.
1--WE set our bear traps miles back
in the gloomy forests, where the
grizzly bears love to have their lairs
among the tangled, fallen timbers,
over which no one can pass except on
foot, and then only with great diff
Guilty. When I first went out in the
grizzly's country, in 1S4s, there were
no such things as repeating rifles. or
even breech-loaders. All had was a
heavy single barreled rife to do my
hunting with for several years. To
come upon an ugly grizzly, weighing
half ton or 50, aud probab ly not only
ready but anxious for a fight, was
something that meant business to a
man with q single -barreled gun.
Under such circumstances you can
rather believe that fellow had to
| make sure when he shot and be up to
all the strategic points by which he
J hoped to get another load in his gun
before he bear snatched him. In case
he was burdened with a fifty-pound
trap, of course the pleasantness of the
situation was greatly enhanced. But
| nowadays a Winchester rifle makes
the meeting OF grizzlya more seri-
Gus matter for the bear than it was in
times that remember wildly.
II believe that the experience of all
grizzly-bear trappers has proved that
grizzly will invariably escape from a
trap if he is not overtaken by the
hunter within few hours aft er being
caught. 1t is to lessen the danger Of
this that all the skillful happers fasten
the clog to the trap with the chain on
one end of it Some trappers fasten
the chain in the midd lie Of the clog, but
that shows that the man don't know
his business. With the chain fastened
at the end of the clog it is dragged
along endwise, and clears all OBJ
structions that would catch and hold
it crosswise if it were dragged from
the middle. Nine times out of ten a
grizzly will be caught by the trap not
far from the extremity of one of his
fore paws. Very rarely can it happen
that both paws are ia the trap. On
being caught the bear rushes with all
the speed he can summon, and in a
tremendous rage, toward the nearest
swamp or thicket, neither of which he
has to 60 far to find. He seems to
know that his life depends on his
speedily Kidding himself of the
incumbrance of the trap. AS he
tears onward through the forest
he mows great swaths in the under
brush He drags the trap and clog
against trees, logs, and rocks, and
whenever some obstruction holds
them fast he tugs aud jerks his i'm
prisoned foot, trying TO tear it loose.
If the chain held the dog in the mid
| die the bear would not go far before
the drag would be caught between
two trees and held securely. Then
one or two determined lunges back
ward by the bear with his enormous
body would tear the foot loose, and
the grizzly would escape to the
swamp have more than once come
| up with my trap and found nothing in
it but the ragged and bloody half OF
some monster bears foot, and such
has been the experience of all trap.
! pers.
1.-THE further a grizzly bear goes or
his furious march without Kidding
himself of the trap the greater his
rage becomes. If it happens to strike
| against tree and does not hold there
he will turn on the tree and tear its
trunk with his teeth, some times gnash
ing half the trunk away. 1 have fol.
lowed the trails of grizzlies through
the thick timber while they were en-.
deayoring to free themselves of their
traps, and have counted sapling after
sapling chewed to the ground as com
pletely as if they had been chopped
down with an axe. the trees being
covered with blood from the woun ds
made on the mouths of the bears in
their blind rage.
ITO come up with a half-ton grizzly
bear while he is in such condition O
temper is like meeting a cyclone. A.
you follow the trail, which is usually I:
long way through the forest, and
probably mile or more into a swami
where you can see but few yards
| about you in any direction, you ar.
constantly xpecting the bear to ris'
up some where and charge upon you
like an avalanche. There have beer
times when trappers have come VI
with the bear at the very momen
when he has at last succeeded in tear
ing loose from the trap. Then ther'
is apt to be trouble for the trappe
unless he is as quick as panther ant
his gun is true. The bear makes ont
wild rush upon his foe. He ceases t,
be a bear, and is a demon incarnate
Nothing can stop him but plenty o
lead well poured into him from riff
by q man who knows just where t
pour it If that fails to stop the bea
i
or cause him to falter the life O
| the man he is after isn't wort
an ounce of powder. He will be tor
to pieces SO quickly that it isn't likel
! La will Enor- ,rhat distnrhad hin,